MINNEAPOLIS – The Timberwolves' lineup on Wednesday will look very different than it did Monday, as both J.J. Barea and Nikola Pekovic are healthy and starting.
Pekovic, who played 19 minutes in Monday's loss in Sacramento, missed seven games with bone spurs in his right ankle. Barea has been out since March 23 with a thigh contusion that he suffered at the end of a game in Oklahoma City. Wednesday against the Warriors was the point guard's first start of the season; with Ricky Rubio finished for the season and Luke Ridnour out indefinitely with a sprained ankle, Barea and rookie Malcolm Lee are the only two available point guards.
"I'm good to go," Barea said before the game. "I'm excited to be back. I'm not 100 (percent). I still feel it, but I go out there and try to see what happens."
Timberwolves' coach Rick Adelman said that regardless of Ridnour's injury, Barea was on track to return on Wednesday. And though Lee was prepared to shoulder the bulk of the minutes, having Barea back to at least start and see limited time will be a bonus for the team. But though Barea and Pekovic will start, the coach is unsure how much they will play. Barea said he's been working out everyday since the injury, and though there's still a bit of swelling, the worst is gone.
Pekovic played with flu-like symptoms on Monday, which contributed to his limited minutes. Between missing more than a week of conditioning and the lingering ankle pain, Pekovic will probably be held to six- or seven-minute stretches, though Adelman wouldn't put a limit on his minutes.
Michael Beasley, who's been suffering from a sprained left big toe, will miss Wednesday's game, but he and Adelman said that they're aiming for the small forward to return Saturday in New Orleans. Ridnour's time frame is more uncertain, and ankle got worse in the aftermath of Monday's game.
"He's a tough kid, and he says he heals quickly," Adelman said of Ridnour. "After the night, it swelled up a lot more, and it's discolored today, so it just depends how much they get the swelling out. If he can play, he'll be back."
So though it's difficult to predict who will shoulder the burden of the minutes at center and point guard against Golden State, Adelman and the Timberwolves have more options than they've had in recent games. That should lend an extra spark to Wednesday's game, and right now, the Timberwolves will take what they can get.
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